Two days passed without anything in particular happening after we returned to the ship.

I stood alone on the deck, looking up at the night sky.

There were people scattered around, probably like me, who had come out to look at the stars.

Given how many facilities there were inside the ship, I had expected the deck to be emptier.

‘It’s rare to see King alone.’

During this uninhabited island exam, each class seemed to have bonded and grown closer and compared to before, it felt like there were noticeably more couples flirting with each other.

After spending a week together in the harsh environment of the island, the sudden shift to a luxurious cruise ship probably had everyone riding high.

Even in our class, Shinohara and Ike seemed to have gotten closer.

That was mostly my fault 'or thanks to me?', though.

If we were just heading back to school like this, it would be easy, but considering the schedule of this vacation, it was almost too boring.

This break was meant to help us recover from the island, but thinking there was probably another exam waiting afterward made me feel depressed.

This time, Class D earned a large amount of CP and knocked Class C down a peg, closing the gap significantly, but it was still too early for us to become Class C ourselves.

We couldn’t read all of the other classes’ movements and even though we’d agreed to non-interference with Class B, there was no telling when that might be broken.

If the next exam involved large CP fluctuations, we’d need to adjust how much we earned.

‘Our promise with Class B is just non-interference, after all. Depending on the situation, teaming up with Class C this time might not be a bad idea.’

“…There you are, Kiyotaka-kun.”

While I was thinking as I gazed at the stars, Kushida suddenly hugged me from behind.

‘As expected of King.’

I could feel the stares from around us, but I ignored them.

“What’s with the suddenness? Did something happen?”

“…N-nope. I just found you, Kiyotaka-kun and thought it’d be okay for a bit. Recharge, recharge~”

“I don’t really get it, but if it helps you relax, I don’t mind.”

Standing out didn’t really bother me.

But Hashimoto (the blonde guy from the last chapter) was unforgivable.

A sharp, high-pitched sound rang out from a phone and just as expected, the announcement of a special exam being held came the next day.

‘The designated times are all different. With the description saying it’ll take about twenty minutes, they’re probably gathering people in twenty-minute intervals. I wonder if the teachers don’t find it troublesome not to explain everything all at once.’

Thinking about it now wouldn’t get me anywhere, so I let my mind wander.

From the messages from Kei and the others, it seemed that Kei and I (same group), as well as Horikita and Kushida (different group), had been called for the same time.

If this was a group assignment, that would make things considerably easier to maneuver.

For now, I just told them to make sure they arrived at the location on time.

* * *

When I entered the designated room, there were already people inside.

Most likely, the explanation for the upcoming special exam would be given by Mashima-sensei and along with him were two students from Class D, Sotomura and Yukimura.

“Fwoooo! Ayanokōji-dono! No matter what kind of exam this is, we’ve already won!”

“Ayanokōji, huh. Like Sotomura said, this is pretty fortunate.”

“Sotomura and Yukimura, huh. I’ll be counting on you.”

Judging by the number of chairs, it seemed to be a four-person group including Kei.

If every group had four people, that would make ten groups total, but we still lacked information.

For now, I’d wait for everyone to arrive and listen to the teacher’s explanation.

“Huh, it’s you, Kiyotaka! You could’ve told me earlier then!”

Kei showed up just before the deadline.

She sat down next to me and immediately clung to me.

Maybe she was influenced by the cruise ship atmosphere, but lately her physical contact has been more intense.

“Ahem. That was cutting it close. Well, it’s fine, but as a teacher, I’d like to ask for more restraint.”

“Eh!? But this level should be fine, right!?”

“May all normies explode!! …is what I’d say.”

“I don’t really mind, but don’t cause any trouble, okay?”

“There’s no need to worry about that. Just leave us be.”

I had no intention of causing trouble, so I stated that plainly.

Still, watching Kei and the others lately did make me worry that something bad might eventually happen.

Mainly that I’d be devoured.

“Alright. It’s time, so I’ll begin the explanation for the second special exam. Do not ask questions until permission is given. If you ask me something, I’ll answer within the limits of what I can.”

Focus.

This school loves wordplay.

* * *

After Mashima-sensei finished his explanation, he left the room.

We were apparently free to use the room for about fifty more minutes.

I summarized the exam as follows:

So, summarizing this exam, it goes like this.

This special exam tests reasoning ability
All first-year students are divided into twelve groups
Groups are named after the zodiac
Groups are mixed across all classes
Our group is the Rabbit '卯' group
Members of the Rabbit group are:

Class A: Takemoto Shigeru, Machida Koji, Morishige Takuro
Class B: Ichinose Honami, Hamaguchi Tetsuya, Beppu Ryota
Class C: Ibuki Mio, Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, Yamashita Saki
Class D: Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, Karuizawa Kei, Sotomura Hideo, Yukimura Teruhiko

At 8 a.m. tomorrow, an email will be sent to all first-year students. Those selected as 'VIP' will be informed
The exam runs until 9 p.m. four days from now
Each day, groups must gather twice at designated times for one-hour discussions
The Rabbit group meets at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. The first meeting must include self-introductions
How the hour is spent is up to each group. At minimum, you must not leave the room
Answers are submitted after the exam ends, from 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Each person may submit an answer only once
Answers are sent from one’s own mobile device to the specified email address
VIP’s cannot submit answers
You may only answer for your own group
Results are emailed to all first-years at 11 p.m. on the final day
There are only four possible outcomes

Result 1
If everyone except the VIP and their classmates answers correctly, all group members receive 500,000 PP and the VIP receives an additional 500,000 PP

Result 2
If even one person except the VIP and their classmates fails to answer or answers incorrectly, the VIP receives 500,000 PP

Result 3
If someone other than the VIP answers early and is correct, their class gains 50 CP and they receive 500,000 PP, while the class of the VIP loses 50 CP. The exam ends immediately for that group. If the correct answer comes from the same class as the VIP, it is invalid and the exam continues

Result 4
If someone other than the VIP answers early and is incorrect, their class loses 50 CP. The VIP gains 500,000 PP and their class gains 50 CP. The exam ends immediately. If the incorrect answer comes from the same class as the VIP, it is invalid and the exam continues

Only group results and class CP changes are announced. Names are not disclosed
Stealing phones, threatening others, or sending answers without permission is prohibited
The email identifying the VIP cannot be copied, deleted, forwarded, or altered

These prohibitions cannot be changed even by spending PP.

It’s good to know that severe penalties like expulsion won’t be altered.

Class A, which probably has the most PP, is already fractured and Katsuragi is conservative, so they likely wouldn’t attempt anything reckless anyway.

The key point is that the school is distributing VIPs evenly.

With twelve groups, that means three VIPs per class.

And the exam explicitly tests reasoning ability.

That could refer to the psychological battles during discussion, but more importantly—

'Stripping away class boundaries and acting as a group is the path to victory… maybe.'

But looking at the rules, this is essentially just a game of werewolf 'which Kei taught me the other day' within each group.

Except for Result 1, there’s no benefit to removing class boundaries.

In fact, considering Result 3, the moment the VIP is identified, it’s over.

So why name the groups after the zodiac?

There must be a reason.

Twelve naturally brings calendars to mind.

Old lunar months could have been used, so why not?

Maybe the school wants to divert attention away from numbers themselves.

If so, what numbers would they not want us thinking about?

Height, birthdays, attendance numbers… things like that.

Maybe the hint is to line up group members by those metrics once class boundaries are removed.

Of course, that’s all just speculation for now.

“Once you find out whether you’re a VIP tomorrow morning, contact me immediately. Our response changes drastically depending on whether our class has one.”

“But Ayanokōji-dono, isn’t copying or forwarding the email prohibited?”

“There’s no need to send the email itself. Voluntarily stating whether you’re a VIP isn’t coercion.”

That was correct.

The school had deliberately left that loophole.

“Just send yes or no. Yes if you’re a VIP. And delete that message afterward, just in case. I’ll delete it too.”

“What’s the plan after that? Are we going to meet and discuss things somewhere?”

“…No, not really. If we move, I’ll give instructions. Until we understand other classes and individual tendencies, moving too much is pointless.”

The main problem is Ryūen.

He’d absolutely check everyone’s phones if he could. If it’s not forbidden, it’s not a problem.

Class C will definitely go all out this time.

They’ve been humiliated repeatedly and can’t afford complacency.

“What about me? Anything I should do?”

“Nothing in particular. But if you can, ask the girls in other groups who their members are.”

“Got it. I’ll probably hear that naturally while chatting anyway.”

Compared to me, Sotomura and Yukimura, Kei has a much wider social network.

It helps.

“Once again, Kei, Sotomura, Yukimura. I’m counting on you.”

And with that, the Class D Rabbit Group meeting came to an end.

I sent out a few messages as a preliminary move.

Depending on the response, we could adjust our approach.

That should be enough to handle things.

I replied to Horikita’s message inviting me to breakfast and fell asleep.

* * *

Bonus Ryūen.

‘…Looks like we’re thinking the same thing. This time, I won’t lose, Ayanokōji!’